


Pale Skin and Crimson Blood

by Jathis



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Albinism, Amputation, Asexual Character, Human Trafficking, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-20
Updated: 2015-03-20
Packaged: 2018-03-18 17:09:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3577323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jathis/pseuds/Jathis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are some dangers that only certain kinds of Scouts deal with. Antoni is displeased when one of the ones Byelobog faces is thrown into his face.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pale Skin and Crimson Blood

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Maiden_of_the_Moon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maiden_of_the_Moon/gifts), [Dangersocks](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dangersocks/gifts), [station_oracle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/station_oracle/gifts).



> I've lost control of my life.

Antoni tried his level best not to let his racing heart get the better of him. The adrenaline was making his head buzz and his hands shake and he cursed at himself under his breath. Shaky hands meant there was a chance he would miss when it came time to take a shot and today was not a day for stray bullets.

They had Byelobog.

The Scout followed after the ragtag bunch of stray dogs, giving them a few steps back for space to work. He had been feeding them for the past few months, gaining their trust and the affection of a local butcher with open ears for information. As he ran he prayed to whatever deity that would listen for the dog’s noses not to play them false tonight.

They had Byelobog.

Scoutmaster Daniel had been sent the notice for the mission based solely because of Byelobog’s existence. Several sources reported that the sale of body parts and organs had begun in several magic based circles and that people were starting to go missing.

Albinos were going missing.

Byelobog had been perfectly calm when Daniel suggested his use as bait. Antoni however had started to scream and curse, only restrained by Byelobog’s whispered words of assurances that the plan would work.

"I trust the Scoutmaster’s judgement. If he trusts us to accomplish this mission…"

"But what if..?!"

"I can protect myself," Byelobog promised, his mouth twitching slightly on one of his rare smiles.

They had Byelobog.

If not for Angjborn’s call, Antoni would not have realized that the trap has been spring for several hours. He felt as if he had only take his eyes off for a moment but it had been enough and suddenly Byelobog was gone.

Antoni was quick to use the strays he had been caring for to track Byelobog down. Angjborn was sent off to alert Scoutmaster Daniel and the others as Antoni had the dogs smell the sash of badges Byelobog had been filling. Once each dog had taken a turn, the Scout shouted for them to find the owner and was relieved when they started to take off, following after them.

He tried and failed not to panic when the dogs led him to what looked like a long abandoned slaughterhouse. The sound of struggling caught his sharp ears and he hissed sharply, gesturing for the dogs to seek out and attack this time. He drew both of his pistols as he followed after them, braced and ready to fire at a moment's notice.

Byelobog had kept quiet during most of the abduction and transportation process. He knew that Antoni and Angjborn were most likely following after him and he needed to see where the others had been taken in hopes of finding at least one survivor. It was not until they were just outside of the building that he lashed out, slipping out of his restraints and whirling around, breaking one of his captor's noses with the heel of his hand. He kept his distance from the others, refusing to allow them to pull him into the slaughterhouse.

He allowed himself to calm down when he heard the barking and howling of dogs, grabbing his hood to keep his head covered as Antoni's strays leapt into the fray, causing mass confusion among the traffickers. The sound of a pistol clicking made him whirl around and he hissed, narrowing his red eyes as the barrel of a pistol was pressed under his chin.

“This was a trap, wasn't it?! Who set this up?” the trafficker demanded. “Tell me before I blow your damned brains out of your white skull!”

“You first,” Byelobog whispered back, face impassive as the trafficker's head erupted in a shower of skull fragments and gore. He watched as another bullet ripped into the limp body, keeping still as Antoni ran forward, stamping a booted foot down onto the corpse. “He was dead with the first shot,” he assured him.

“You..! He could have..!”

“Your strays are dealing with the others nicely and I am sure that the Scoutmaster will be here shortly with reinforcements. We should look for survivors.”

“Byelobog...”

“Before they arrive.”

Slowly Antoni nodded his head, struggling to control his frayed nerves as he followed the albino inside. The smell of fresh and old blood hit them right away, making it obvious that the place was still being used. He couldn't help but wonder at the albino's blank face as they moved past bloody scenes of torture and death, one room filled with headless and limbless torsos on hooks ready for further processing to remove the organs. He wasn't very sure if he would be able to look at such things without reacting...

And then they found the room where the living “donors” were kept. There were five in all, three adults and two children barely at the age of ten. They were all missing parts of their bodies; legs, arms, ears, and one was missing her eyes, a bloody bandage awkwardly tied over her face. Antoni winced at the way they reacted upon seeing him first, the adults grabbing the children and shifting to shield them, as if they could really stop him from doing whatever he wanted to them.

The very idea made his chest start to hurt and eyes burn.

Byelobog watched as Antoni turned and fled from the building without a word. He sighed but said nothing, leaving the other to go and try to deal with his emotions while he went to offer comfort to the others inside, his own appearance helping to calm them down.

Scoutmaster Daniel and several others arrived later to help with the cleaning up. Vows were made that the five would be helped, given shelter with one of Daniel's more trustworthy contacts to ensure no more abuses were done to them. “But where is Antoni?” he asked with a frown, “I thought he was also here?”

“He went to go and make sure no one fled,” Byelobog lied softly, “I'll go and find him.” It wasn't hard to find the other Scout. Angjborn spotted him several miles away, sitting by a small river, head in his hands. The hawk landed on a branch over his head, chirping softly in concern. Byelobog approached him from the side, silently sitting down beside him, close enough that their shoulders touched.

It was several minutes of silence before Antoni broke the silence. “...It could have been you,” he whispered.

“But it was not me.”

“But it could have been.”

Byelobog turned his head to look at the other now. He regarded the hastily wiped away tears that still left their mark on Antoni's cheek. Slowly he leaned forward, pressing his lips against the other's cheek in a soft kiss. “Thank you for being my protector,” he whispered.

“...Daniel probably wants me to return and report everything.”

“Scoutmaster is busy helping the survivors, the report can wait until the morning,” he assured him. He leaned back until he was resting against the tree, waiting patiently for Antoni to lie down, head resting in his lap. He hummed softly, running abnormally white fingers through the other's hair.

Angjborn fluffed her feathers up briefly, preening herself quietly as Byelobog sang to Antoni, his voice soft and comforting in the other's ears.

"You really are like some Prince of Winter," Antoni murmured.

"And you my loud knight."


End file.
